abbott



@atten taire. @anni @fitta M. E. ABBOTT, 0F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA. -Leam Patent No. 70,933, daad November 1 9, 18671 I IMPROVEMENT yIN STEP-LADDER.

@ligt dgthlrlt refieran tu tu that tetttni what ma mating gaat of it: samt,

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, M. E. ABBOTT, of Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton, and State of PennsylE Vania, have invented a new and improved Step-Ladder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, refers ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part 'of this specicatio'n.

This invention relates to 'a new and improved method of constructing step-ladders, whereby they are ren.- dered adjustable, and so formed that the braces may be folded-up in a small space; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described.

The drawing represents a perspective view of a step-ladder constructed according to my invention,

As regards the ladder proper, I claim nothing novel. What I claim as new relates to the manner in which the braces or legs are attached to the'ladder, and to lche manner in which the stay-rods are arranged and attached.

A represents the ladder proper, or the step part. B B represent the legs or braces. There are twoof these, as is usual in this kind of ladder. They are' hinged to the upper part ofthe ladder, as seen at'd d. The hinge or butt is. firmly attached to the ladder; but the upper ends of the braces arevpivoted to the other leaf of the hinge, so that a compound joint is formed, the lower ends `of the braces4 being allowed thereby-to be spread, and brace the ladder in two directions, as seenvin the drawing. Between the two braces or legs B B there are two stay-rods C Cf, which cross each other, aslseen. These stay-rods are attached 'to the braces at their bottom ends by eyes in the usual manner; but at their top ends they are attached to long staples a a in the braces, which allow them to have a longitudinal'or up-and-down movement. This, with the pivot-joints of the braces at their top ends, allows their lower ends to be spread, although the rods cross and brace from one to the other. Upon the two sides oi' the ladder there are-two other stay-rods, D D', (one on each side,) which are attached to the braces B B' at their lower ends, the same as C C', and to the side ofthe ladder by long staples c c, as before described, which allows the ends of the rods to slide upward on the staple when the braces are folded up, which arrangement allows the braces to lie lat on the back of the ladder, where they are held by small hooks, seen at d'.

Having thus described myinvention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A step-ladder, with the braces B B and the stay-rods C C and D D' attached to the ladder A, substantially as described that is to say, by the pivot-joints d (Z and the long staples a a and c c, as and for the purposes set forth.

In combination with a step-ladder, I claimv the pivot-joints d d and the long staples a a and c c, (or their equivalents,) substantially as and for the purposes described.

` M. E. ABBOTT.

Witnesses:

l C. F. BEALER,

M. SAGE. 

